The present invention relates to personal mobile computing devices commonly known as mobile devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for delivering and receiving information on a mobile device.
Mobile devices are small electronic computing devices often referred to as personal digital assistants. Many such mobile devices are hand held devices, or palm-size devices, which comfortably fit within the hand. One commercially available mobile device is sold under the trade name HandHeld PC (or H/PC) having software provided by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.
Generally, the mobile device includes a processor, random access memory (RAM), and an input device such as a keyboard and a display. The keyboard can be integrated with the display, such as where the keyboard is incorporated as a touch sensitive display. A communication interface is optionally provided and is commonly used to communicate with a desktop computer. A replaceable or rechargeable battery powers the mobile device. Optionally, the mobile device can receive power from an external power source that overrides or recharges the built-in battery.
In some prior applications, the mobile device is used in conjunction with a desktop computer. For example, the user of the mobile device may also have access to, and use, a desktop computer at work or at home, or both. The user typically runs the same types of applications on both the desktop computer and on the mobile device. Thus, it is quite advantageous for the mobile device to be designed to be coupled to the desktop computer to exchange information with, and share information with, the desktop computer.
Another technique for providing information to such mobile devices is through a wireless transmission link. Such information can include electronic mail or news, weather, sports, traffic and local event information. The information is typically obtained from a desktop computer connected to the Internet and delivered over a wired connection. However, it may be desirable to deliver such information over a wireless connection as well. A wireless receiver on the mobile device can act to receive information as it is being sent to the mobile device.
There is presently no reasonable way to deliver push style content (such as hypertext mark-up language (HTML) content provided on a global network such as the internet and world wide web) to such devices in a wireless manner and in an open and available architecture. The bit rate of conventional wireless channels is very low. Thus, the delivery of very large content (such as HDML content) is highly impractical.
One conventional type of approach to delivering such information is to rewrite the content into a device friendly format, such as HTML. The content is then obtained over a pull-style model. Another approach currently being used to deliver information via a wireless medium in a closed model. In a closed model, a content provider can only provide content which is written in a format suitable for receipt by a specific device implementing a specific type of software. This means that the vast majority of web content is unavailable for viewing on such devices.
A method for rendering information, such as, available through the Internet on a computer includes storing a content structure file, a data file and a script file. The data file includes data indicative of the information and the script file includes script information indicative of a desired form in which the data is to be rendered. The content structure file, data file and script file are independently receivable by the computer. The content structure file is read to ascertain which script in the script file is associated with data to be rendered. The data from the data file is retrieved and the associated script file is executed to render the data. Instructions can be provided on a computer readable medium to implement the method.
In one preferred embodiment, the content structure file includes references to data and scripts in a hierarchy. In particular, the content structure file includes script tags associated with the scripts in the script file wherein the script tags are arranged in the hierarchy. When the content structure file is read to ascertain which script in the script file is associated with the data to be rendered, the script is chosen as a function of the hierarchy. Organization of the script tags in a hierarchy allows tag inheritance. Specifically, if there is no associated script tag for the data in the lower portion of the hierarchy, a script referenced by a script tag in a higher portion of the hierarchy will be executed to render the data. In another embodiment, if a referenced script in the content structure file cannot be found in the script file, a default script is executed in order to render the data.